A Journey Into The Heart of Slovakia

I have come to love analogue photography again. I love the nostalgic feelings it brings up in me, going back to my childhood and family holidays. I love the excitement of not knowing how the pictures will have turned out until the moment I’d pick up the developed pictures from the local photo shop. Most … More PHOTO GALLERY | Rediscovering Bratislava with an analogue camera

Slovakia is by some (including myself) affectionately described as the “Hidden Gem in the Heart of Europe”. But how hidden should this gem really remain from the rest of the world? Ever since I moved to Slovakia and discovered how beautiful a country it is, I have struggled with the realisation that back home no … More Slovakia’s time to shine is now

Traditions, in any sense of the word, defines for a large part a country’s heart and soul. It provides some of the most important elements any society needs and no politics or economics can give – solidarity, identity and the feeling to belong. Unfortunately, many countries nowadays seem to have forgotten that it were the … More In Slovakia, tradition is key

I firmly believe in the idea that you are responsible for making your own success – whether it is success you seek in your career, in your personal life, in your hobbies, or anywhere else. Nothing in life simply comes flying into your lap. You need to work hard, exercise discipline, make yourself visible and, … More The motivation of exposure

Most of you know by now that I absolutely enjoy living in Slovakia and that I found my home here. However, there has been one major dirty spot on this country’s beauty that I have refrained from writing about, so far – any foreigner’s absolutely involuntary dealing with the so-called “Foreign Police”. I don’t know … More My wife is in love with an alien!

Being born Dutch means being born to ride. Some may say we are born with a bike in our hands. We bike a lot, it’s a simple truth. We learn how to ride a bike from an early age. Our level of self-confidence, self-conscienceness and, to some degree, plain arrogance rises the moment we get … More Why Bratislava should get on a bike

After four years living in Slovakia, I finally made the decision to start to learn Slovak…I made that decision with both excitement and some dread. I have always enjoyed learning languages (not counting my German classes at high school, which I always assumed were never meant for me), so the excitement of learning something new … More Učím sa slovenčinu – to make the impossible, possible

As far as I know, there are only two holidays in the Slovak calendar that make people to willingly drive tens, even hundreds of miles across the country to be with their family: Christmas and All Saints’ Day. The only difference being that the former is to be with the living, while the latter is … More 1st of November, a day to remember…

A couple of years ago, my wife and I visited the Slovak National Gallery to see the exhibition of Medieval and Baroque art. When we arrived at the cash desk of the gallery, the lady behind the counter enthusiastically informed us that with the entrance ticket, we get free entrance to the other temporary exhibitions … More Karol Kállay and the soul of Slovakia

Last Saturday, the Tour de France was kicked off in France. Starting at Mont Saint-Michel, going through Andorra and ending in Paris, this annual spectacle of cyclists from all over the world always gets the heart of any cyclist-fan racing (pardon the pun…). I am not one of those fans. Despite the fact that I … More Peter Sagan and why he is important for Slovakia

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About

This blog is my attempt, as a Dutch guy living in Slovakia, to understand the country I live in and the people I live with. I want to show the beautiful sides of them and the ugly ones. I want to make Slovaks proud of their own country, as there is so much to be proud of. I want to show the outside world that Slovakia matters. I want to do all this by experiencing the country. This is my journey into the heart of Slovakia.